Jonathan Rapping

Building a new generation of public defenders

Jonathan Rapping is strengthening public defenders and transforming public defense across the nation. The 1963 Supreme Court ruling, Gideon V. Wainwright, mandated that poor people accused of crimes must be provided counsel if we are to live up to our nation's promise of equal justice. Today, however, our nation's jails and prisons are disproportionately populated with members of our most vulnerable communities due to structural, financial, and cultural challenges that have kept us from fulfilling this promise. Through Gideon’s Promise, Jon is building a new generation of public defenders to address these challenges and help shift the nation towards true equality in our justice system.

This independent TEDx event is operated under license from TED. TEDxAtlanta is hosted by Ideas into Action, a registered Georgia nonprofit organization